This web site is a comprehensive study of
United States small size dollar coins that has been literally years
in the making. It is a cumulation of information and collectables
gathered over the past three plus decades. Besides the coins
themselves, there are numerous items that help tell this
fascinating story, many of them very collectable. Some of these
items include autographs of the many people involved (including
Susan B. Anthony), patterns and prototypes, documents,
biographies of those involved, plus much, much, more. Edwin
Johnston, Past-President of Greater Houston Coin Club, summarized
this site fittingly when he said "The smalldollars.com
website is a great place to recommend for a newbie collector who
asks: 'What should I collect?'. It's very comprehensive in a very
focused area that is at the same time, wide-ranging."(2/20/11)

An unsolicited comment from Tom
Rogers, Reverse designer of the Sacagawea Dollar

"......your
website really rocks! You don't just have a website
about small dollars....In my estimation
you have THE website. Lots of information, well
covered. Congratulations.......Tom"

November
28, 2007

QUICK
FIND

You may either use the Search Engine below to find a
specific subject on this site,
or click on the link/photo below to go directly to the
series you're looking for,
or just scroll down the page to browse.

September
1, 2009: Production of the Zachary
Taylor Presidential Dollar begins in
Philadelphia.

September 10,
2009: Production of the Zachary
Taylor Presidential Dollar begins in Denver.

September 1,
2011: Production of the James
Garfield Presidential Dollar begins in Denver.

September 18,
2012: Benjamin Harrison Presidential
Dollars are officially released in Indianapolis,
Indiana.

September
2, 2008: Production of the Martin
Van
Buren Presidential Dollar begins in Philadelphia.

September 26,
1978: Frank Gasparro's Anthony
Dollar
design is approved by the Commission of Fine
Arts.

September 3,
2008: Production of the Martin Van
Buren Presidential Dollar begins in Denver.

September
29, 2001:Frank
Gasparro, designer of
the
Anthony Dollar, dies.

September
8, 2011: Production of the James
Garfield
Presidential Dollar begins in Philadelphia.

The
Move From Large Size Dollars To Small Sized Dollars -
From Concept To Reality

- A Brief History Of
The United States Small Dollar -

The Dollar Coin has been the main
staple of the United States' monetary system since it was
authorized by Congress on April 2, 1792 and first struck
in 1794. Even though it was large in size (38.1 to 40
mm), it was a popular denomination and circulated well
due to its buying power. The "silver dollar"
was discontinued in 1935. By the mid to late 1960's, the
price of silver rose to the point that "silver
dollars" no longer circulated. In 1971, due to the
needs of gambling casinos for a dollar coin, and the
public's desire to honor the first landing on the moon,
the dollar coin was again struck, i.e. the Eisenhower
Dollar. The coins failed to circulate widely, primarily
due to their large size and the acceptance and
convenience of the paper dollar.

In the mid
1970's, attention turned to a smaller size dollar coin,
culminating in the Susan B. Anthony Dollar in 1979. Miss
Anthony was chosen to honor her life long fight for
women's suffrage. From day one the Anthony Dollar was
rejected and ridiculed. The portrait was considered ugly
and the coins were not easily distinguished from the
quarter dollar. Besides being the same color, there was
less than nine-hundredths of an inch difference in the
diameters of the Anthony Dollar and the quarter dollar.
They were given nicknames such as "Agony
Dollars", "Carter Quarters", "Susan
B. Edsel", and "JC Pennies" (Jimmy Carter
was in the White House at the time). They were
discontinued at that time after only being struck for
circulation for two years, 1979 and 1980. The 1981
Anthony Dollars were struck for mint sets only.
Curiously, this was not the first time this criticism was
accorded a United States coin. In 1875 a Twenty-Cent
piece was struck. Besides having virtually the same
design as the quarter dollar, it was a mere
eight-hundredths of an inch smaller. The Twenty-Cent
piece ceased being struck for circulation in 1876 after
only two years production. Here's "Proof" that the Mint also had
trouble distinguishing an Anthony Dollar from a Quarter.

In the early 1990's, discussion of
striking a new small size dollar coin was begun. This
time government officials were armed with the knowledge
of the mistakes of the Anthony Dollar. Discussions
centered on striking a new small size dollar coin that
would be golden in color and have a distinctive edge so
that it could be easily distinguished from the quarter
dollar. The striking of a new small size dollar at that
time was not to be. Besides the queasiness of the mint to
venture into another failed dollar coin, there was one
other major problem. That is, more than a decade after
the Anthony Dollar was discontinued, there were still
millions of them in Federal Reserve vaults.

By the late 1990's the
supply of Anthony Dollars was finally dwindling down.
After congressional and public hearings, it was decided
that a new small size dollar coin with a plain edge and
golden in color would be struck in 2000. The obverse
would have the likeness of Sacagawea, the Shoshone Indian
girl that helped guide Lewis and Clark through the
northwest on their exploratory expedition of the
Louisiana Purchase. In the mean time, the Anthony Dollar
supply was decreasing so quickly that the mint struck
1999 dated Anthony Dollars to fill the need for a dollar
coin until the Sacagawea Dollar could be struck and
placed into circulation. The Sacagawea Dollar made its
debut early in 2000 to the praise and acceptance of both
collectors and the general public. However, after the
honeymoon period was over, it began to fall out of favor.
Just like its predecessor, the Anthony Dollar, it too was
struck for circulation for only two years. It remains to
be struck for sale to collectors in mint sets, rolls, and
bags.

In 2007,
the United States began honoring our Nations
Presidents by issuing $1 circulating coins featuring
their images in the order that they served. The United
States Mint will issue four Presidential $1 coins per
year, and each will have a reverse design featuring the
Statue of Liberty. The composition of the new
Presidential $1 Coins will be identical to that of the
Sacagawea Dollar. Living Presidents are excluded from the
series, however they may be added only if they have been
deceased for two years prior to their coins release. The
"Presidential Dollar Coin Act of 2005" had
stipulated that the mint would continue issuing the
Sacagawea Dollar in quantities no less than one-third of
the years total dollar mintage. This stipulation was set
to begin with the 2007 Sacagawea Dollar, however, the
"Native American Dollar Coin Act of 2007"
eliminated this requirement.

The
"Native American Dollar Coin Act of 2007" was
signed into law on September 20, 2007 by President George
Bush. It superseded the Presidential Dollar Coin Act of
2005's requirement that one Sacagawea Dollar be struck
for every three Presidential Dollars struck. Instead, it
required that beginning in 2009, one Native American
Dollar be struck for every five Presidential Dollars
struck. It also states that "the design on the
reverse shall bear images celebrating the important
contributions made by Indian tribes and individual Native
Americans to the development of the United States and the
history of the United States". The reverse of the
Native American $1 Coin will feature a new design each
year. In addition, the date, mint mark, E PLURIBUS
UNUM, and IN GOD WE TRUST were moved to the
edge.

The year
2009 also saw some changes made to the Presidential
Dollar design. IN GOD WE TRUST was moved from
the edge of the coin to the obverse, and the edge had 13
stars, representing the thirteen original colonies, added
to it.